


And Now His Watch Begins

by Mouse1997



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: BAMF Jon Snow, Jon Snow Knows Nothing, Multi, R Plus L Equals J, The King in The North
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-05-16
Packaged: 2020-03-05 18:32:43
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 3
Words: 1,743
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18834337
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mouse1997/pseuds/Mouse1997
Summary: What if Jon Snow's resurrection went differently. Or, Sam asks the free folk to keep an eye on Jon while he goes to Oldtown.





	1. Melisandre

The Lady Melisandre stood atop of The Great Wall in silence. The cold wind whipped around her, making her red hair dance like flames. In her thin cloak, she should have felt the frozen winds but she did not feel the cold. She had not felt the cold for a long time. 

Her red eyes stared at the vastness of the Free North and felt the eyes of death stare back at her. Stannis was to be Azor Ahai, and if needed, she would be his Nissa Nissa. But Stannis Baratheon was dead. She did not need her flames to see that.

‘Why,’ she asked herself, ‘why does R'hllor abandon his chosen? Or was I wrong?’ She closed her eyes, hoping that when she opened them all would be revealed to her.

Melisandre turned around and opened her eyes. She looked at the brazier that The Night’s Watch kept burning to keep warm through the day and through the night. As she walked towards the open flames her cloaked billowed open as a gust of wind blew north. 

“Show me, my Lord,” she asked, “Show me your champion.”

As she said the words, she nicked her forefinger letting the blood drip into the flames.

Drip. Shireen. Drip. Sesyle. Drip. Stannis. 

“Please.” 

As she looked into the flames, R’hllor showed her Snow.


	2. Olly

His mother would sing to him at night. She would wrap her arms around him and sing him songs of knights and princesses. They had little, but she was everything.

Then he remembered how his mother’s blood felt warm on his face. He remembered the look the Thenn gave him, how all the wildlings looked at him. They were going to kill him and almost did too. 

Jon saved him. Jon took care of him. Jon was helping him become a man. 

But Jon was choosing them. The things that killed his mother. The things that tried to kill Jon. 

Olly stared at the long knife that Ser Alliser had placed in his hand. He could see his reflection in the blade. He could see could his eyes staring back at him. 

‘These would be the eyes of murderer soon,” he thought. But would it be murder? Was it murder to do one's duty. If that were true, then he was already a murderer. 

The wildling that was going to murder Jon. The wildling that Jon held in his arms. The wildling that Jon built a pyre for. He remembered how easy it was to let go of the arrow. It was easy, like killing a hare. 

It wasn’t murder. It wasn’t killing. It was his duty as a man of The Night’s Watch. Jon had broken his vow. Jon had dishonored himself and his men. He had betrayed Olly’s trust. He loved the wildlings more than he loved his brothers. Olly knew what he had to do.

“For the Watch.”


	3. Ser Alliser Thorne

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ser Alliser Thorne remembers Jon Snow.

“Ghost.” 

That was the last word spoken by Jon Snow as he bled out on the stones of the castle his ancestors built. They left his body out there in the cold. Jon Snow did not deserve a Watchman’s funeral. He was traitor and traitors did not deserve to draw breathe. 

Ser Alliser Thorne was now Lord Commander of the Night’s Watch now that Jon Snow was dead. It was a title that Snow did not deserve to have. But Ser Alliser was a knight and had served with his brothers for 19 years. He deserved to be Lord Commander.

As the men entered the hall from the courtyard, Thorne looked at the men that stood at his side. Each man had blood on their armor, but you could barely tell with all the black. These men were loyal, even if half of them were rapists and thieves. But some of the men had doubt in their eyes, others had regret. Ser Alliser could not hold The Wall if his men had any doubt that what he just did was anything other than right. 

“I know some of you have your doubts that killing Lord Snow. We have all committed treason, but Jon Snow committed treason first. He brought the wildlings through the wall.” Ser Alliser looked at every man when he spoke. The men in the hall began to nod their heads in agreement. They had no love for the wildlings. But Jon Snow did. And he loved the wildlings more than he loved his own sworn brothers. Ser Alliser remembered Lord Jeor Mormont, Qhorin Halfhand, and all those that had died fighting the wildlings. Jon Snow had spit on their graves. 

“He led the wildlings through our gates as no Lord Commander has ever done before. He gave them the very land on which they reaved and raped and murdered. Lord Commander Snow did what he thought was right, I've no doubt about that, and what he thought was right would have been the end of us. He thrust a terrible choice upon us, and we made it. 

Go wash yourselves and come back with your swords. Jon Snow’s friends will be here soon and we will need to defend the castle from traitors and wildlings.”

“Marsh, Olly, follow me,” Thorne called as began to walk towards the stairs. He needed to make preparations and he needed more men. Bowen Marsh and Olly followed behind him quietly up the stairs to the Lord Commander's chambers. Ser Alliser’s chambers. As they approached the room, the door was ajar, and light spilled into the hallway. 

Ser Alliser pushed the door the rest of the way open. 

The light walls were relief from the constant black and brightened the room so that the small details did not go unnoticed. The candles were still lit and the ink was still wet. Ser Alliser sat down on the chair, still warm from its previous occupant’s use. As he turned to face the dark window, Lord Jeor’s raven stood on the ledge. “Snow.” It cried. “Jon Snow.”

At that moment, he knew that Jon Snow would haunt him for the rest of his life. 

“Marsh, you’re a fast rider.” Ser Alliser stated, ignoring the raven. 

“Yes, ser.” Marsh’s eyes were not on Ser Alliser but on the raven. Olly stared at the raven too, his face pale. Olly grabbed one of the candles and threw it at the raven, but missed. 

“Snow.” The raven cried as it flew off. “Snow.” 

Marsh picked up the fallen candle and stomped on the flames. He blew out the candle and handed it to Olly. He then turned to face Ser Alliser. “What do you need me to do Lord Commander?” Marsh asked. 

“Marsh, I’m going to write you a letter and I need you to ride fast for Winterfell. Lord Bolton is Warden of the North, he’ll help us with our wildling problem. Don’t stop until you reach the castle. The Bolton’s hate the wildlings almost as much as the Umbers do. Maybe the Bolton’s needed new skin cloaks for winter.” Ser Alliser handed Marsh the letter, and with a nod Bowen Marsh swept out of the room, leaving Olly and Ser Alliser alone in the room. 

He turned and look to Olly. “You’ll be my steward. I’ll show you what real loyalty is. What real duty is.” Olly looked at him and smiled, pride filling his face. The boy deserved recognition. He did what needed to be done. Olly understood the death and horror that Jon Snow brought through the wall. 

With a small nod, he dismissed Olly from the room. Yes, Olly had potential.

Snow had potential too. A good fighter with good instincts. If Ser Alliser had faced Snow in single combat, he knew that he would lose. It was why he decided darkness and knives than light and steel. Snow would have carved through half of them if he had his sword. The bastard had talent. 

Jon Snow. What a waste.

Ser Alliser Thorne knew honor. He had been fighting all his life. He had honored his oaths as a knight and as a man of the Night’s Watch. 

Ser Alliser Thorne also knew duty. He served his king as he had sworn he would. He served with his brothers and led the Watch in battle. Oaths were oaths. 

Eddard Stark knew nothing of duty or of honor. If Eddard Stark knew duty, he would bend the knee to Aerys and would have ended the rebellion before it began. If Eddard Stark knew honor, his bastard son would not have lived and died at the wall. 

“Lord Commander.”

Yarwyck’s voice startled him. Ser Alliser had been so deep in thought that he hadn’t noticed Yarwyck come in. Yarwyck had been one of Ser Alliser’s closest friends and one of the key instigators in the mutiny. He trusted Yarwyck with his life. 

“What is it Yarwyck?” Ser Alliser asked as he took a closer look at Yarwyck. Black soot covered his face and hands and he smelled of smoke. Yarwyck’s face was filled with panic. 

“The wildlings are taking the castle! They were let in by those loyal to Snow. I saw Marsh tied up by the pyre the Red Witch was building. She’s starting to burn things from Maester Aemon’s room. I tried to untie Marsh but flames rose up and tried to grab me! She burned Marsh alive!” Ser Alliser could barely believe his ears. How could this have happened so quickly without his knowledge? He cursed his brothers for not seeing the wildlings. He cursed Stannis for bringing that Red Witch. And he hoped Jon Snow was in the seventh hell for causing all this chaos to happen. 

“We have to go to Last Hearth and warn the Umbers. Better yet, go to Winterfell and warn the Bolton’s. The North needs to know that it is being invaded. I’ll find Olly and we’ll meet behind the stables, maybe we’ll find other brothers along the-” Ser Alliser stopped and looked over Yarwyck’s shoulder. But all he saw was darkness. 

Then he saw a silver flash at Yarwyck’s neck and river of blood poured out onto to breastplate and to the floor. He saw the light leave his friend's eyes as his body was pushed to the floor. Now in clear view was the red-headed wildling they called Giantsbane. His face was covered in blood and as he held up the bloody dagger with a grin he said, “And now his watch has ended.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for all your comments guys! I really appreciate the feedback.


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